A Misunderstanding
by ladyashethealchemist
Summary: They could all blame Mira for her meddling in this misunderstanding. It was her who listed the job, after all. However, they could also thank her, for without this push things that needed to be said may never have been… Chapter 1- In which Mira begins her plans and sends the six pairs off.
A.N Hello! This is going to be a 12 chapter fic, with this first chapter setting up the six partnerships the fic will focus on, chapters 2-7 each focusing specifically on one of the pairs, 8-10 being a group part, 11 the last main chapter, and 12 a follow up chapter. I hope you enjoy this fic!

* * *

Mira grinned as she finished writing up the posts for the new job. She knew exactly which people could use this sort of push, and she knew none of them would figure out her goal until she wanted them to. Spotting a few of the people she had to approach, Mira quickly set about seeing her plan put into action...

* * *

-1

"Lucy!" Natsu called happily, waving his friend down.

The blonde haired girl slowed her pace so he could catch up to her and gave him a grin. "Hey Natsu! What's got you in such a good mood?"

"Mira posted a new job, and she told me it would be perfect for us! It's way more than enough jewels to cover your rent, and to get us a good meal!" The pink haired wizard handed the job posting over to Lucy, his face lit up with a bright grin.

Lucy scanned the job posting. "Sets of multiple wizard pairs needed for minor research assistance. Must have been together for at least one year and willing to answer simple questions about themselves and their partner. Payment is 200,000 jewels per pair."

200,000 jewels? For minor research assistance? Lucy's eyes widened. There was no way… this had to be too good to be true.

"See, I told ya!" Natsu laughed as he took in Lucy's expression. "It's going to be the easiest 200,000 jewels we've ever made! The researcher will probably just ask some questions about our magic and how we work together and then we'll be done!"

Lucy couldn't help the grin that soon filled her face. "Then let's go!"

* * *

-2

Levy couldn't help but feel there was more than met the eye when Mira first handed her this job listing. As she sat back in her chair and scanned the job listing for the fourth time, the blue-haired woman couldn't help but notice there were more than a few things that didn't sit very well with her. First, the job description was vague and didn't really explain just what sort of questions they would be doing. Were the question about themselves about their magic? The ones about their partner on how well they work together? Second, why did the partners have to know each other for at least a year? Many wizards teamed up together for a job and worked just fine, so why did they need a pair who knew each other so long? And lastly, the wording of the job made her slightly uncomfortable, like there was something she should be able to pick up on that she just couldn't…

"What's got your face all scrunched up, small fry?" Gajeel's shadow soon blocked out the light as the dark haired man approached her. He stood next to her chair, arms crossed and an amused expression on his face. There was a light in his red eyes, one that Levy only noticed when he was talking to her.

Levy gave him a small look of feigned annoyance at his blocking her light. As a slight blush covered her face and broke her little act, she handed him the job listing. "Mira just got this in and thought maybe we'd like to take the job."

Gajeel's eyes skimmed the words, not taking anything in until he saw the reward. "200,000 jewels? I'm in."

"Did you even read what the job is?" Levy crossed her arms, her brow raised slightly. "I'm just not sure if it's exactly what it says… I feel like there is a lot more about this than meets the eye."

Gajeel ruffled her hair, causing her to roll her eyes. "I'm sure we can take whatever they throw at us. After all, you have gotten much tougher now, haven't ya?"

Levy's face flushed slightly at his honest compliment. "Yeah, you're right, I guess. We've got this."

Gajeel grinned. "Then let's get going!"

* * *

-3

Erza wasn't breaking any sort of guild rules by taking this job and pairing up with Jellal. At least, she kept telling herself that. He was technically a guild member now, his crimes cleared after his help in the last battle the faced, though he had yet to have his membership made official.

Technically, Mira had mentioned the job to her and she had… _politely_ asked for the job so she and Jellal could get some time together, just the two of them. There were so many things they had to discuss that they kept pushing off, and she knew that this was just the sort of thing they needed to get those things out in the open and figured out.

She knocked lightly on the apartment where Jellal was staying.

"I told you, you are always welcome." Jellal gave her the smallest of smiles when he opened the door. "You don't have to knock, Erza. You have a key."

Erza gave him a soft smile. "I know, but I didn't know if you had guests."

Jellal managed a small chuckle. "Me? Have guests? Are you sure you're thinking of the right man?" While his tone was playful, Erza could see through that and tell he meant that he felt he didn't really deserve guests at the moment.

"Jellal…" Erza's tone was sympathetic, though she knew he wouldn't accept any sort of comfort, still feeling the weight of everything that happened in the past and in this last battle, which was one of the things they had to work on. Seeing Simon brought back seemed to have undone a lot of the healing he had gone through, even knowing that Kagura forgave him.

His eyes flashed with something, though he masked it quickly. "Anyways, come on in. There's no point to us continuing this conversation in the doorway."

Erza followed him in quickly and shut the door softly.

"Would you like anything to drink? I haven't been out on any jobs recently but I've got some stuff."

"I'm fine. And speaking of jobs..." Erza passed Jellal the page. "It's good pay, easy work, and I think it'll be good for us to work together for a bit. We haven't had a job together since you told master you would join the guild."

"Erza… these questions-" Jellal started as he read that section of the job description.

"I'll be right there with you Jellal. If anything gets into stuff you don't want to talk about we can go. But please, for me, at least give it a try."

Jellal gave her a soft smile, though his eyes were still conflicted. Tentatively, he pulled her against him in a rather unexpected embrace. "Okay, I'll go. For you."

Erza smiled and closed her eyes as she rested her head against his shoulder. "Thank you."

* * *

-4

"Gray darling! Mira found a job for just the two of us." Juvia rushed up to Gray's table in the guild hall.

Gray sighed and turned toward the blue haired woman. "Just the two us of?"

Juvia nodded quickly, passing the sheet to him. "Just you and me, my darling! Working side by side and answering questions about each other! Won't that be fun?"

"Oh yeah, it'll be great." The ice wizard's voice was expressionless.

"It will be great, won't it? Me and you together answering questions about our magic and learning even more about one another! Mira is so kind for offering this job to us! I think that we should pack-"

Gray drowned out her voice as he read the job, and sighed once more. "Okay, sure. I'll go with you."

Juvia stopped in the middle of her rant and quickly hugged the dark haired wizard, her eyes shining.

"Just me and Gray… my heart can barely take it!"

"Juvia… can you let go of me?"

* * *

-5

"Sis, are you sure this is a good job for us?"

"You think me and this oaf are good candidates for a partner job?"

Elfman and Evergreen spoke at the same time as Mira handed them the job offering.

"Of course it is. From what I've heard about the job, it'll fit the two you perfectly! And don't worry about it just being the two of you, as everyone is off on jobs and won't even know the two of you went together."

Elfman looked over to Ever, who sighed slightly and nodded. "Okay, sis. We'll take the job."

Mira clapped her hands together. "Oh this is great! I've got everyone off running jobs and I've got you two off together!"

"It's not like we're going as a couple!" Elf and Ever replied at the same time.

* * *

-6

"Laxus, a moment." Freed approached the blonde man who had just grabbed a drink from the bar.

"What do you need?" Laxus asked, giving his pal a small smile and motioning for him to sit next to him.

Freed held out a job posting to Laxus. "Mira thought the two us of us would be a good fit for this job for some reason."

Laxus took the sheet and read it quickly. "Partners who have known each other for at least a year, hmm? Well, we fit that category better than pretty much all the others our age at the guild, don't we?"

Freed smiled. "That we do."

"Then this job should be a piece of cake."


End file.
